Affinity 20
by DrawnToTheRhythm
Summary: An Affinity re-write because it was not meant to be this way... Initially Sam/Pete eventually Sam/Jack
1. Chapter 1

Pete stood at the sink his hands elbow deep in suds. Well, it was only fair that he tidied up after Sam had cooked him a wonderful meal. He could hear the low hum of voices on the TV from where Sam was currently resting. He turned and hollered over his shoulder.

"Hey honey, did I mention that Mark's coming up with the kids this weekend?"

"What was that?" She responded in the distance and the sounds from the TV cut out.

"I said Mark and the kids are here this weekend!"

There was a scuffling from the other room and suddenly Sam appeared at the doorway.

"Why didn't he call me?" She asked, leaning against the doorframe in her robe and fluffy slippers, arms folded across her chest. Pete shrugged nonchalantly and resumed his dish washing.

"Probably assumed I'd remember to tell you. He's got a long weekend before a conference in Denver so he figured why not come and see his little sister and his best friend?"

Pete smiled and Sam scowled.

"Well, a little more notice might've been nice but that's great! I'm not working this weekend so we should do something."

Drying off his hands, Pete surveyed his work.

"Not bad if I do say so myself." He turned to Sam and slung his arms loosely around her waist, pulling her towards him. "I'll give him a call tomorrow, I'm sure we can sort something out with him and Marie." He paused a moment before resting his head against her forehead. "Now how about that dessert you promised me?," he mumbled suggestively.

Sam smiled obligingly although it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Give me a sec, I just need to check something first." At the disappointed look he gave her, she tried again. Smiling a bit wider she nodded her head towards the bedroom. "Why don't you go on ahead and I'll be right through?"

Pete paused for a second then stepped back and nodded.

"Sure thing, just don't be too long!"

Sam watched him retreat down her hallway, wondering not for the first time why this was suddenly feeling harder than it should. Shaking those thoughts to the side, she smiled to herself. At least she'd get to see Mark and the kids this weekend, she hadn't seen them in ages!

...

Saturday morning the doorbell rang at 1000 sharp. Sam put down her paper and shook her head chuckling. However much Mark had hated his military upbringing he had never lost his lessons in punctuality from their father. Pete flew in from the other room.

"I got it!" He exclaimed, bounding towards the door. No sooner was it open, a small, blonde mop of curls flew through straight past him towards Sam.

"Auntie Sammy!" She shrieked, "I missed you!" The little girl clung to Sam's leg and she beamed up at her. Sam grinned and bent down to pick her up, placing her on her hip.

"Hi Abby! I missed you too. Where's your brother?"

"I'm right here!" Said the newcomer, "Dad asked me to give him a hand with the bags."

Joe was 12 but he was rather tall for his age.

"Hey Joe, you need a hand with that?" Sam asked but he just smiled and shook his head. "Nah, that's ok, me and Dad have got them. Besides, I don't think the little monster will let you go!" He chuckled, eyeing his little sister. She pouted.

"Auntie Sammy, mommy said Joe wasn't allowed to be mean to me this weekend. Tell him!"

Sam chuckled.

"I think I'll leave that one to your mom and dad!"

Speak of the devil.

"Hey Sam! How you doin', kiddo?" The guy with an armful of bags announced. Sam put Abby down and raced to the door. She smiled warmly.

"Mark! It's great to see you again!" She said giving him a bear hug. When he released her she turned to his wife. "Marie," she said warmly, giving her a hug, "how've you been?"

Marie returned the hug.

"Oh, we're doing great, thanks. It's good to see you, Sam."

"Likewise!" Sam turned to the group just as Pete closed the door. "So, drinks anyone?"

...

"So how's my little sister these days? Still working yourself to death under that mountain?"

Sam rolled her eyes.

"It's been hectic," she confessed, "but I am trying to cut back my hours."

Pete snorted.

"Yeah, now she only works 50 hour weeks instead of 70!"

Everyone chuckled and Sam elbowed him playfully in the ribs. Mark smirked.

"Sounds like Sam." His smiled dropped slightly. "I hear your boss is a real hard-ass."  
Sam's head snapped up and she looked between Mark and Pete and frowned.

"Ah, no actually, he isn't."

Mark lifted an eyebrow.

"Come on Sam, he's an officer in the US Air Force, I've yet to meet one that doesn't have a flag pole shoved up their a-"

"Mark!" Hissed Marie, "the kids!"

Mark apologised insincerely and turned back to Sam.

"My point still stands. You spend far too much time at work."

Sam grimaced. She knew that Mark had never seen eye to eye with her when it came to the military but she resented the way he spoke about her friends. She also didn't like the implication that he and Pete had been discussing her CO behind her back.

"Mark, my job requires long hours. And, yes, I admit the higher ups can be a bit intimidating but Colonel O'Neill is actually ok once you get to know him."

Mark raised his bottle and pointed towards a picture in a frame on her cabinet.

"That your team?" He asked before taking a long swig of beer. Sam nodded. "I take it the older white guy with the grey hair is your CO?" Again Sam nodded the affirmative, not quite sure where he was going with his point. Mark regarded the picture for a few seconds. "You seem... close."

"We're a close-knit unit," Sam replied flatly. In the photo SG-1 were standing in a line with Teal'c to the far left scanning the horizon and Sam sandwiched between Daniel and Jack. Sam's hand was touching Daniel's arm, obviously laughing at something he had said as he was snapped mid arm fling but it was Jack, not Daniel who had the slightest trace of a smirk across his features as he looked at Sam. It was so subtle that any casual observer would have missed it completely.

Mark nodded.

"I can see how that would be necessary... In deep space radar telemetry."

Sam gave him a pointed look.

"Mark..."

Pete, sensing this was about to turn into an argument, cleared his throat.

"I don't know about you guys but I'm famished! You guys fancy pizza or Chinese?"

"Chinese sounds great!", chimed Marie, grateful that Pete had stepped in so she wouldn't have to. She glared at her husband. His eyes dropped from Sam's, the frustration subsiding for now.

"Yeah, sounds like a plan!"


	2. Chapter 2

Sam yawned and stretched before glancing at the clock on her bedside table. 0630. Pete slept soundly next to her and she contemplated going back to sleep but she was awake now and she knew no amount of counting sheep would help. Sighing, Sam padded to the kitchen in her slippers and robe and put on a pot of coffee.

Returning to the living room a movement caught her eye. Abby was sitting cross-legged on the sofa brushing her doll's hair and mumbling to herself. Sam grinned.

"Morning, squirt," she said, "anyone else up yet?"

Abby shook her head vigorously.

"No, just me. I tried to wake Joe up but he just threw his pillow at me. Mommy and daddy told me to go back to bed. I couldn't sleep though so I came to play with Molly."

"Who's Molly?" Sam asked.

Abby held up the doll.

"Molly the dolly," she said matter of factly.

"Ah, I see!" Sam said as though that should have been obvious. "You hungry? Fancy some toast?"

Abby shook her head.

"No, thank you, Auntie Sammy, but could I have a glass of water please?"

Sam chuckled.

"One glass of water coming right up!" She replied, reaching for the remote and switching the TV to the Disney channel. "You want to watch some cartoons?"

Abby clapped her hands and bounced in her seat.

"Yay! Beauty and the Beast!", she exclaimed, "My favourite!"

Sam went to retrieve their drinks and sat down on the sofa next to Abby who was intently watching the screen with Molly on her lap. Abby was humming quietly to the music.

"Here you go, kiddo," she said, handing the plastic glittery cup to the little girl.

Abby looked up from the screen.

"Thank you."

Sam glanced around and the photo of her team from the previous night caught her eye. She scrunched her face up. Why had Mark been so interested in it in the first place? She wondered silently to herself. Suddenly her attention was grabbed by a tap on her knee.

"Look, Auntie Sammy, my favourite bit!" Abby exclaimed just as Gaston fell out of the cottage doorway and into a pond full of pigs in mud. Sam laughed.

"You don't like Gaston, huh?"

Abby screwed up her face.

"No, he's icky. He looks like Mr Potatohead!"

Sam chuckled to herself as she settled down to watch the movie with Abby, silently sipping her coffee. Belle was heading out to feed her chickens.

Me? The wife of that boorish, brainless...

'Madame Gaston, can't you just see it?  
Madame Gaston, his little wife?  
No, sir, not me, I guarantee it  
I want much more than this provincial life...'

Sam twitched.

'I want adventure in the great wide somewhere,  
I want it more than I can tell  
And for once it might be grand  
To have someone...understand  
I want so much more than they've got planned.'

Sam shifted uncomfortably in her seat next to the oblivious 6 year old and glanced at the drawer where she had hidden the ring, waiting to be taken to the jewellers to be resized.

'It's just jitters', she told herself, 'nothing to worry about.'

Yet she did worry. An awful lot more than she willing to admit.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam sat with her head buried in paperwork but she couldn't concentrate. Her mind was on other things. A presence at her door snapped her to the present. Jack paused as though on his way past.

"Carter."

Sam sat up straighter.

"Sir."

Jack walked hesitantly into the room.

"I never thought I'd hear myself utter these words... 'I need that report.'"

Sam froze.

"Oh, right... Erm... I just need to finish typing up my notes." She shuffled her papers nervously. "I'll have it for you first thing tomorrow."

Jack tapped his watch.

"It *is* tomorrow."

"Oh."

The silence was heavy.

"I'm *joking*", Jack said slowly, "I don't need the report!"

Sam winced.

"Well, then, why-"

Jack leaned forward and interrupted her question.

"Because something's going on with you! You haven't tried to confuse me with any scientific babble for the last couple of days. And that's a red flag to me!" He finished, wiggling a finger at her.

Sam looked as though she was chewing a wasp and glanced away before reaching for something. It was a black velvet ring box. She held it out to O'Neill.

"Pete gave me this," she announced. He took it and considered her for a moment before opening it.

"You know, people usually wear these on their fingers?"

"I haven't said yes."

Jack raised an eyebrow.

"And, yet, you haven't said 'no'," he pointed out unhelpfully.  
"I'm... considering my options." She said warily.

"Oh?" Damnit, he hadn't meant to say that out loud.

Sam sighed.

"He wants a dog. And kids. And the white picket fence."

Jack winced.

"And?..."

"I'm not sure if I do."

Jack looked down awkwardly.

"Carter-"

Sam interrupted him before he could say any more. She had to get this out otherwise it would annoy her for the rest of her life.

"You see, I always had this vague idea that maybe one day after I'd achieved my career goals I'd consider it. But the closer it gets, the more I feel like it's maybe not for me."

"Nobody dies wishing they'd spent more time at the office." It was a cliche but he'd thrown it out there.

"I know that, Sir. I just... the thing is I love my job. And I still feel like I have so much more to see and do. Don't get me wrong it would be nice to have someone to share my life with but kids are a big, *huge* commitment. One I'm not sure I could handle."

"Cassie turned out fine," Jack replied. Sam frowned.

"Yes, but that's different. Janet was there for her most of the time. I'm just the cool Aunt who swings by for the fun stuff, you know?"

"Sam, I don't think-"

"Having your own is an entirely different ball game. I mean, there's the pregnancy for starters. What would I do, fly a desk for 9 months?"

"People on this base do," Jack offered. Sam looked at him pointedly.

"Then there's more time off then childcare then school. I wouldn't feel like I was doing enough if things stayed the same as they are now. It wouldn't be fair to the kid or my husband. But, however much I try to reconcile that it would be a worthy sacrifice, I feel like I'd resent the ties." Jack opened his mouth to speak. "And don't tell me I might change my mind because I've felt this way since I was 15." He shut his mouth again. "I can't even keep a houseplant alive," Sam mused.

Jack bounced his fist lightly on the desk.

"Have you spoken to Pete about this?"

Sam cringed.

"How can I?" She asked quietly, "He gets this look every time the subject comes up, he's so excited about the idea that I feel like I'd be crushing him."

Jack sighed.

"I hate to break it to you but it's gonna keep coming up, you know. Especially if..." He tailed off gesturing towards the ring box.

Sam nodded.

"I know, I know all of this. It's partly why it's been two weeks already."

Sam suddenly frowned as though remembering something. She glanced up at O'Neill then back down at the table. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out.

Jack tilted his head to one side, he knew that expression a mile off.

"Something else on your mind?" He asked gently.

Sam gulped and stared. Busted! No point trying to avoid it now.

"Wh- what about you? Sir?" She added quickly.

He looked like a deer caught in headlights. If it had been any other time, Sam would have laughed. Don't like it when it's turned on you, do you, Jack?

He coughed and suddenly found his boots fascinating.

"Carter... I...I don't know-"

Sam shifted in her seat.

"Sir, hypothetically, just humour me. Please."

He held his hands up and stepped back.

"I'm happy that you're happy!"

"That all?"

Jack stared at her sadly.

"I... think you already know the answer, Sam."

Sam fixed him with a look and crossed her arms across her chest. Waiting.

"And if I don't?"

He handed her back the ring.

"Then maybe I wasn't clear enough when I said I'd rather die myself than lose you."

Sam looked shocked and wide eyed. She swallowed awkwardly.

"I wasn't sure if that still stands."

Jack smiled weakly.

"Always, Carter, always."


End file.
